Canada joins world leaders saying Trump’s plan to end war in Ukraine needs 'additional work'
CBC
Prime Minister Mark Carney, along with more than a dozen world leaders meeting in South Africa, issued a joint statement on Saturday saying U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Ukraine needs more work.
The world leaders met on the edges of the G20 summit in Johannesburg to talk about Ukraine after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that his country is facing “one of the most difficult moments in its history."
Zelenskyy is facing a deadline imposed by Trump to take or leave his plan to end the war — that's viewed as favouring Russia — by Nov. 27.
"We are clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force," the leaders' joint statement said. "We are also concerned by the proposed limitations on Ukraine's armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack."
Trump’s 28-point plan calls on Kyiv to cede territory, accept limits on the size of its military, and renounce ambitions to join NATO — all long-standing Kremlin demands. The plan also contains some proposals Russia may dislike, including pulling back its military from some areas it's captured in Ukraine, according to a draft of the plan viewed by Reuters.
Zelenskyy delivered a video address to the nation on Friday saying Trump’s latest move is putting “intense” pressure on his country.
“Ukraine may now face a very difficult choice: either the loss of dignity, or the risk of losing a key partner, or 28 difficult points or an extremely harsh winter,” Zelenskyy said.
Canada, the European Council and the European Commission, the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Finland, Spain, Norway, the Netherlands and Ireland were all at the meeting and said they're ready to engage in order to ensure "a future peace is sustainable."
Global affairs analyst Michael Bociurkiw, who is attending the G20, told Canadian media that Trump's plan can't go ahead as is.
"It's a disaster for Ukraine," said Bociurkiw, a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council. "If any Ukrainian leader were to sign up for even a part of this so-called plan, it would be the end of Ukraine as we know it. Game over for a sovereign Ukraine."
Carney is also holding bilateral meetings with the leaders of France, Norway, the European Union, Germany and the U.K. on Saturday in Johannesburg, according to a senior Canadian official.
All of these countries are part of the Coalition of the Willing — a group of more than 30 nations that have promised to strengthen support for Ukraine against Russian aggression.
Carney met one on one with French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday and discussed working with allies to reach “just and lasting peace in Ukraine," the Prime Minister's Office said.
“The Prime Minister and President reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine and underscored that any settlement must include Ukraine’s involvement, respect Ukraine’s core interests, and provide security guarantees,” the office said in a statement.
A holiday event that began in 2020 during the pandemic with three floats on pickup trucks has now become one of Kelowna’s big winter events, drawing thousands to the city’s downtown core.
WARNING: This story details allegations of child abuse.
It’s been hard to keep track of how many legal challenges and active court proceedings the United Conservative government has tried to quash or pre-emptively block in the last six weeks, but let’s try to tally:
Margaret Walker, the emcee of a Waterloo vigil commemorating the victims of the Montreal massacre, doesn't feel enough is being done to reflect on the killings and address gender-based violence.
The P.E.I. Humane Society says it is doing far more fundraising than it used to, and rising expenses — including the cost of animal medications — are a big reason why.
Ottawa is staring down a court-ordered deadline to submit a new plan to reform the on-reserve child welfare system, as a group of First Nations leaders and children’s advocates prepare a competing proposal.
An underpass revitalization project that was meant to pay tribute to the people of Parkdale has instead deteriorated into “a garbage dump,” according to nearby residents.
A young man has been charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm after a fire at a frat party near Western University that injured five sorority sisters, including two seriously, late Tuesday night.
The massive deal to combine one of Hollywood's oldest studios with a streaming giant hasn't even been approved yet, but it's already riling multiple related industries and politicians concerned about monopolies and media concentration.
Mi'kmaq chiefs and a former Nova Scotia justice minister are criticizing the provincial government for directing police to crack down on illegal cannabis, saying the order undermines relations with Indigenous Peoples.
For years, there has been “glaring inequity” in the way the province has allocated the millions of dollars in its county roads budget, according to Department of Transportation Minister Chuck Chiasson.
Six months after passing a law aimed at making it easier for new grocery stores to open, Manitoba's premier says lower grocery bills could be on the horizon.
Timothy Smith was acting in self-defence when he punched Landon Waddell, and shouldn't be found guilty of manslaughter, his lawyer says.